


Cat People

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-05
Updated: 2013-09-19
Packaged: 2017-12-25 18:07:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/956128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Knowing my name is a one way ticket.”<br/>“To where?”<br/>“You wanna know?” </p><p>A man stripped of everything in his life meets a blunt, impetuous boy who’s keen on making him feel home again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. God is just a word.

**Author's Note:**

> My first big project, so bear with me. Rated E for future chapters.  
> Proofread by my one and only [boo](/users/eren) to who I owe everything ♥  
> Also many thanks to my best friend for doing a dramatic reading of first chapter, boosting my confidence in order to publish it you da best ♥

Heavy footsteps crashed the eerie silence. The rain poured down hard, as if it was trying to clamp on and suffocate anyone who dared to step outside. An ugly screech ripped through the thick air. A boy, not older than 10, was kneeling on the dirty, wet ground, his clothes blood spattered. His raven hair was glued to his cheeks, raindrops mixing with the tears he cried. On the ground in front of him laid a body of a woman, her clothes torn. Her eyes were wide open, staring unblinkingly at the small figure cradling her head in his lap.

“ _Mommy,_ ” the kid cried out, his voice dry. “Mommy, please say something. Mommy?” No answer. He leaned his head against her chest, frantically searching for a sign that she was alive. Searching for that one heartbeat that would confirm this is nothing but a horrifying nightmare.

Nothing.

Not even a sound.

“ _Don’t leave me, please…_ ” he cried, his forehead against hers, his face now smeared with her blood.

“What should we do with the brat,” a dim, emotionless voice spat out the words.

“I say we kill him too.”

“Who gets the honour?”

“Oh, I want to,” a disturbingly enthusiastic voice spoke. “Perhaps the boss will give me a promotion for this.”

“Step aside, I’m the one who’s going to do it.”

“Fuck you all, I’m the leader here. I’m the one who’s going to put a bullet in the brat’s he-” before the man was able to finish the sentence, he was knocked down, his body hitting the muddy ground with a loud thud. The boy jumped him, picking up a rock and ramming it into the man’s head. Again and again, until his skull was crushed to pieces, the corpse twitching under the kid’s body.

_“GET HIM!”_

As they pulled out their guns and bats, another thud was heard. And another, until all the men were down, blood seeping out of the holes in their heads and torsos. Everything went silent, even the sound of the rain seemed somehow subdued. The boy stayed motionless, empty eyes observing the bodies around him. A shadow appeared behind him. A tall, broad-shouldered man. He was wearing a black cloak and, once matching, now washed out jeans showing where the cloak didn’t reach to cover. His blond hair was soaked, his lips were slightly parted in what was to become a gasp of disbelief within seconds as he took in the scene before him. He kneeled beside the boy, taking the thick cloak off of his shoulders and wrapping it over the now shivering body. The boy raised his head and met the man’s gaze, face dirtied with blood, snot and mud, but expression stoic, unfazed.

“What’s your name?” the tall man asked, wiping the boy’s face with an old handkerchief, gently pushing the hair out of his eyes. The boy sat in silence, staring back, oblivious of the question. _Just as I thought_ , Erwin sighed, _he doesn’t understand the word I’m saying._ He noticed the tiny pendant around the boy’s neck, showing a pair of wings covered in three vertical lines, colored in blue, white and red. _He’s definitely not from around here._

“Parles tu anglais?” Erwin was unsure of his words, but somehow managed to get them out. The child shook his head slightly, the shake barely visible but it was enough for Erwin to notice. “Comment t’appelles-tu?”

“Rivaille.” The child’s reply was short and quiet, barely even a whisper.

“Je m’appelle Erwin.”

“Erwin?”

“Oui.”

He smiled at the kid, and then found himself in pain when he saw the mutilated face of the woman on the ground. The boy started sobbing. Erwin gently picked him up, afraid to squeeze his frail body any harder than he had to in order to hold him safely. He looked as if he would break. As he walked through the empty streets the boy’s sobs had died out, replaced by soft snores that sounded more like a cat purring. Tilting his head a bit, just enough to look at the boy over his shoulder, he found him sound asleep. The sight brought a small smile to Erwin’s face as he snuggled the boy closer.

He stopped in front an old house, its left side completely wrecked, and knocked two times. After a few seconds of silence a brown haired figure stuck her head out, screeching in delight.

“Ahh, Erwin, you’re back! I was getting worried and-” she noticed a cloaked lump hunched over Erwin’s shoulder, rising up and down at a steady rate. Her eyes glistened with excitement as she pulled the end of the fabric, eyes landing on the boy’s grumpy sleeping face.

“AAAAHHHHH, he’s so adorable! Where did you find him?!”

“Hanji, keep it down, he just fell asleep.”

“Oh, sorry,” she lowered her voice, caressing the boy’s face with her fingertips. “Shit, he’s burning up. Get him inside.”

Erwin stepped in and carefully lowered the boy onto the mattress in the middle of the tiny room, a single light bulb hanging over their heads, flickering the soft light. The room was grungy and equipped with nothing but a stove and a sink on one side, and a wrecked table with two dirty cups on it on the other.

“He witnessed his mother getting killed, probably getting raped too. Perhaps an hour ago. Those bastards from the capital were at it again, raiding the underdeveloped districts as if the inhabitants were nothing but cockroaches waiting to be stomped on. I took them down, don’t worry,” he added, noticing the scared look on Hanji’s face, “he also doesn’t understand a word of English.”

“Poor baby, you’ve been through a lot haven’t you,” Hanji whispered, her voice gentle and motherly. She took his soaked clothes off, drying him thoroughly and dressing him up in one of her woolen sweaters. Levi looked so little to her.

“Erwin, pour some cold water in this,” she ordered and handed him a blue bucket resting next to the mattress, “and bring a clean cloth, would you.”

“Right away.”

Half an hour later Levi was tucked in, a wet cloth resting on his forehead, chest rising up and down, his breathing deep and slow. Somewhere along the way he took hold of and squeezed Hanji’s hand, refusing to let it go, mumbling when she tried to move away. Hanji didn’t mind. She sat next to him, keeping an open eye the whole night. Erwin sat in the corner and kept glancing at the two.

“Come on little one, you can do this,” Hanji whispered, squeezing the tiny hand in hers.

“He’s a tough one, despite his looks,” Erwin stated, swaying a liqueur glass in his left hand and holding a cigarette in his right.

“I know that look, Erwin.” Hanji sounded amused.

“He might be our way into better future.”

They smirked at each other. The rain stopped and the sun peeked through thick, dark clouds, the stench of blood rising and engulfing the streets in its vapor.

* * *

 

The night was warm and the moon shone bright,  illuminating the city beneath. It seemed as if life had come to a standstill, not a sound emerging from the numerous buildings lined up along the concrete road. The air was cold and humid, signalling that summer was coming to an end. In a dark, abandoned  alley, a boy, not older than 18, knocked over a full trash can. He grabbed his head, wincing in pain as the cold steel hit the ground making a loud noise.

“Ahh, fuck,” he mumbled and collapsed on the ground, fatigue and a sudden wave of nausea getting the best of him, “I shouldn’t have drank that much.” He stuck his face between his knees, holding his messy hair with his right hand, ready to empty his tortured stomach onto the sidewalk.

“Oh, what do we have here? One too many drinks, little lamb?”

The boy raised his head, his vision blurry and unable to detect the faces of three figures hovering above him.

“Man, I was hoping for a girl but this will do, he seems to have a nice ass.”

“All you care about are asses.”

“As long as I have place to put it in, they could be headless for all I care.”

“Enough you two,” a hoarse voice shouted. “why don’t we all share.”

He crouched down, gripping the boy’s hair with his right hand and tracing the line of his lips with the thumb of his left hand. The boy wanted to scream, wanted to slam their heads against the wall. He was mortified, his body long exhausted and unable to move an inch. He winced at the sudden feeling of a tongue against his cheek, the smell of cigarettes and hard liquor making him even more nauseous than he was before.

“I’m gonna violate your ass so much you won’t be able to walk for the rest of your life, do you understand me kiddo?”

“Now, now,” a deep, venomous voice startled all of them, causing them to turn their heads towards the darkness where the voice seemed to be coming from.

“Who’s there?”

“Does it really matter?” a smaller man masked by the shadows leaned against the wall, pulling out his zippo and lighting cigarette which he kept hanging from his lips for the time being. “Didn’t your mothers teach you it’s rude to take other people’s stuff before asking,” he asked teasingly, swirls of smoke surrounding his face as he spoke.

“Who says the kid belongs to you? Finders, keepers.”

“He was on my territory,” the man stepped out of the shadows. He was short, perhaps 5 feet tall at most, dressed in black, his hoodie zipped, a red bandana tied around his neck. His hair was black as the night, messy fringe covering his forehead and tired eyes. “Which means he’s my stuff.”  

“So the legends are true, huh” one of the thugs spoke out. “Gentlemen, we have the honour of speaking with the greatest scum of all, the magnificent Levi. Or should I call you captain L-”

Before the man was able to finish his sentence, a punch was delivered to his face, the force of it knocking out a few of his teeth. He stumbled, yelling in pain as the blood sept through his hands and onto the floor. The other man, much shorter yet fuller, was violently thrown onto the hard ground, a few kicks landing on his ribs, his head and even more against his stomach. The third one managed to grab Levi, much to his misfortune. Levi used him as a lever, jumping and flipping them both, slamming the tall guy into a wall and twisting his arm. An ugly, loud crack was heard. Something definitely broke.

“Now leave before I rip out your guts and feed them to the dogs."

The men cried in horror, running away as fast as they could considering their state. Levi turned around and faced the kid, finding him sitting against the wall with his head leaned on his knees, breathing shallowly.

“Oi, brat?”

No answer. Levi froze for a moment, observing the boy. He walked over to him and pulled his head up, bringing it close to his own in order to check on his pupils. The boy’s eyes were half lidded, scared, but there was lust in them regardless. Before Levi could think, he felt soft lips brush against his chin, making their way to his mouth, pulling Levi into a one sided kiss. Levi leaned out of the kiss but that didn’t stop the boy from nuzzling his head against Levi’s neck.

“Get a hold of yourself,” Levi ordered, nudging the boy’s shoulders.

“I… don’t… urgh,” he wheezed in between the words.

“Don’t you dare to-” before Levi could finish his sentence, the boy heaved and a sickening smell followed his action. Levi stood up grimacing at his ruined clothes, taking off the hoodie in disgust and throwing it at the boy.

“Wipe yourself with that after you’re done, I’ll have to burn it anyway,” he was visibly annoyed. How wouldn’t he be, he was stuck with a drunken brat who just threw up all over him, not to mention he had to bust his ass out of a very probable trouble. No answer came from the boy, as he was still trying to catch his breath, emptying his dinner onto the curb.

“W… water…,” he let out a quiet gasp.

“There’s a nice big puddle over there if you’re thirsty,” Levi snapped at him. What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t leave him, figuring in this condition he’d probably be dead by morning. The boy slouched his back, closing his eyes.

“Don’t fall asleep. Tsch,” he picked up the hoodie and wiped the boy’s face off. It was his turn to gag so he turned his head away, focusing on a can of soda  that laid crushed a few feet away. It proved to be a seemingly good distraction at that moment.

“I feel sick.”

“If you throw up on me again I’ll cut your intestines out.”

“Nnh.”

“Get up.”

“I can’t.”

“Get up I said,” Levi grabbed his arm, pulling him up. _I’m going to make him eat his own shit for this tomorrow._

“I wanna go home.”

“Well that’s too bad now isn’t it.” _Why am I doing this._

He might have been short, but there was a lot to his small build to compensate for his height. He dragged the boy along for quite a long way, letting him fall onto the ground as they arrived in front of an old building. He rummaged through his pockets in search looking for a key, opening the weighty metal door after he’d finally found it.

“Get in, and watch the stairs,” he ordered, having already reached the first floor. The brat obeyed him, slowly getting up to stand on his unsteady feet, gripping the railing as he crawled up the stairs. They entered the apartment, which seemed small yet quite spacious. The hallway was empty, with a door on each side of it. A large couch occupied the living room, facing a small TV in the corner. Opposite to the lounge, there was a kitchen, visibly old but still in usable condition. Instead of a dining table there were two, a bit rusty, swivel chairs to the island counter. The door that lead to a tiny balcony was opened, a guitar on the floor, and an ashtray next to it.

They boy stumbled over his own feet, grabbing the door knob to his left. He opened the door and was about to walk in when he was roughly pulled back.

“Forget about it, you’re sleeping in the bathroom,” Levi dragged him away, opening the bathroom and pushing him through the door. The boy fell down, crawling and resting his head on the toilet seat. Another wave of nausea splashed him, and he hugged the toilet as let it all out once again.

“You’re disgusting, you know that,” Levi spat out, wetting a towel and throwing it at him. He left the bathroom, only to come back with a bottle of fresh water. He put it on the edge of the bathtub, trying not to get too close to the boy. He kept the light on and walked to the room across the hall, undressing and throwing himself onto the bed. Exhaustion finally caught up with him and lulled his body to sleep. _You’re an idiot, Levi._

* * *

Levi was wide awake, dressed in black briefs and a grey short sleeved shirt, sipping on his coffee and smoking the very much needed cigarette, when he heard the bathroom door open. A tall figure stepped out, hand against his face and peeking at his surroundings with a confused expression on his face.

“Oh, you’re alive,” Levi smirked, not bothering to lift his eyes from the newspapers.

“Keep it down, my head hurts-” the boy’s eyes widened as he realized the situation he was in. “Where am I, and who the fuck are you?!”

“Is that the way you always talk to people who save your tiny ass from being fucked by three, I’m assuming, very well endowed guys. Trust me, it’s not as pleasant as it may sound to you. By the way, you owe me a new hoodie,” he appeared disinterested, taking another sip of coffee.

“What-”

“Do you even remember anything from last night?”

“I remember drinking with some friends.”

“Well it didn’t quite go right, did it.”

“...”

“Do you have a name or or something,” Levi side-glanced at the boy. He was a complete mess. And he stank.

“E… Eren.”

“Well, nice to meet you, _Eren_. Was the toilet seat up to your standards?”

“Fuck you.”

Levi stood up, smirk never leaving his face, and slammed the boy into the wall, causing him to yell on impact as a result of a sudden pain that went through the back of his head.

“Don’t you dare to talk to me like that, brat. I saved your ass, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have rights to it,” he whispered, hands slipping by Eren and resting on the wall. “You’ll have to think of a way to repay me for everything I’ve done for you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Tsch,” Levi let go and sat back at the counter. “Take a shower and get lost, I’ll figure out a way for you to repay your debt later.”

“But I don’t have any clean clothes.”

“Well isn’t that a shame. You can borrow my hoodie if you’d like, I’m pretty sure the puke has dried out already.” Eren rolled his eyes and retreated to the bathroom.

The bathroom was small, equipped with a basic white sink and a toilet on the left, and a bathtub and some shelves on the right side of it. The shelves were filled with male care and cleaning products, neatly organized by colour. Everything was speckless, from which Eren drew a conclusion that  the guy might be somewhat of a clean freak. He stripped and grabbed one of the towels, put it closer to the tub and stepped into it, letting the hot water from the shower head shower splash over his head and back. It felt good, and it washed away his nausea too, at least for the moment. Upon finishing his 30 minutes long procedure of thinking about his life choices and washing his body, he wrapped the towel around his waist, using another one to dry off his hair as he walked back into the living room. It was empty, which scared him a bit. His gaze landed on a pile of clothes laid out on the couch, a small note resting on top of it. Eren picked it up and slowly read the tiny, neat handwriting effortlessly despite his raging headache.

“ _Get out and lock the door after you’re done, then throw the key into the pot next to the entrance door. Leave your debt to me. P.S., you’re pretty good with your tongue, so I wouldn’t mind seeing-_ ” he noticed the word had been striked through, “ _-feeling more of it._ ” Eren’s eyes widened in shock as he read that last part. “Shit. Oh, shit,” his cheeks flushed, turning from pale to crimson. What the hell have I gotten myself into? He put on the sweatpants and the black wife-beater left for him on the couch, and ran out of the apartment. After reassuring himself he was alone and far away from the freak’s residence he stopped and leaned his back against a nearby wall. _Fucking shit._


	2. A pulsing night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayo I'm sorry for the delay. I kinda ended up partying this weekend, and the result was well let's just say I almost reached ch 1 level (you could say it was karma punching me in the face). I know this is pretty short, but bear with me, the next chapters will be longer so here have a ♥ ilu all!!  
> [ I know Armin is pretty short, but i have this headcanon that he becomes really tall after his puberty. w e l p. ]  
> [ sorry for possible the grammar mistakes, I did my best to edit everything but I'm really tired, so I /might/ have missed something. ]

“Eren!” A tall blond jumped him as soon as he opened the door of their shared apartment. “Thank God you’re back! We were worried sick and we searched for you and we couldn’t find you anywhere and-”

“Armin, please keep your voice down, my head hurts,” Eren said, his voice low and hoarse. He realized he had hurt the boy with the harsh response, a frown very much visible on Armin’s face. He apologized immediately, trying to soothe the earlier outburst.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” he tapped Armin’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, I know you guys were worried. I’m okay.” He shrugged, covering his mouth with his hand. “Then again, my stomach isn’t.”

He went to the bathroom and slammed the door. Armin sighed and dragged himself back to the kitchen, noticing that scrambled eggs he’d been trying to make are now burned beyond recognition. Groaning, he threw the burned food into the trashcan, having to satisfy himself with a piece of toast and strawberry jam. Eren joined him ten minutes later, face grimacing in disgust at the smell of burned breakfast.

“Sorry, you know I can’t cook to save my life.” Armin apologized, noticing something was off. “Did you wear that last night?”

“Huh?”

“Your clothes, Eren. Didn’t you wear the shirt I bought you for your last birthday? And I’m pretty sure you wore jeans, and not sweatpants.” Eren could tell Armin was suspicious of his behavior. Then again, explaining what happened last night would be a nightmare followed by inevitable scolding by his best friend.

“Oh, this! Uhm, I went over to Connie’s house for a change of clothes, I fell into a trash pile.”

“But wasn’t Connie with-”

“Eat,” Eren stuffed a toast into Armin’s mouth in order to shut him up. His remark did however remind Eren of the clothes he left in Levi’s bathroom, a loud sigh escaping his lips as a result of sudden realization.

“Yfou sfhould gfo to bfed”, Armin mumbled as he took another piece of toast, continuing after he swallowed it.  “You look horrible.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“I’m always right, I thought you had realized that in the past 15 years.”

“Good night.”

“It’s noon.”

“I don’t care.”

“I’m about to go out, I’ll buy some aspirin and proper food.”

“Armin, you’re an angel,” Eren said as he kissed the other boy’s cheek. “Wake me up when you come back.”

“Sure thing,” Armin smiled at Eren who got up and stumbled to his room, still unsure of his own balance. Armin’s face grew dim as soon as he heard the click of the door as he was quite sure that Eren had been hiding the truth about last night’s events. _There is no way you went to Connie’s house last night, since he had notified us he had a date with Sasha. Stubborn mule, what have you done now?_

He got up and rinsed the plates, carefully placing them onto the dryer, picking up his wallet and car keys from the dresser as he entered the narrow hallway. Armin tiptoed through the door, slowly closing them in order not to wake the sleeping boy. He skipped down the stairs, checking the mailbox for the third time that day despite knowing Jean’s postcard could not arrive so fast. They had been together for 9 months, constantly around each other and Jean’s sudden visit to his parents in France made Armin anxious, as he missed the warmth he felt every time his boyfriend was around. He shook his head, slapping himself with both of his hands, hoping it will help him organize the turmoil in his head. A black Golf V was parked across the road, making a short beep as he unlocked and sat into it, turning the radio on and driving to the nearest convenience store.

Armin strolled around the aisles with a hint of laziness in his walk, dropping few extra stuff into the trolley, mainly useful for treating heavy hangovers. He grabbed two packs of aspirin and proceeded to the checkout, eyeing the key chains in shapes of small animals. As he turned around to see more of them, he accidentally knocked over a chocolate bar with his back, crouching in order to pick it up. He failed to see the boots as he headbutted into a person that was, obviously, standing behind him.

“Ah, I am so sorry I wasn’t paying attention!” He bowed, too embarrassed to face them.

“It’s okay.” The man murmured, his response short and disinterested.

Armin squinted at him, finding it hard to believe that a grumpy face like that was allowed in public. His hair was awful, too.

“What?” he asked, causing Armin to flinch.

“Nothing, nothing.” Armin somehow managed to wriggle out of the conversation. The man threw a half smirk at him and strode away, grabbing two packs of Marlboro Menthols and cutting in front of him.

“You won’t mind me going first, considering you have so much stuff piled up,” hearing the statement Armin realized he had no choice. His eyes followed the man as he left the store and sat on his motorcycle, driving away and leaving a thick cloud of dust behind. _What an asshole._ The cashier awoke him from his thoughts, repeating the sum he had to pay at least two times before he reacted. He sighed as he glanced at the bill and crumbled it inside his pockets.

The apartment was overrun by deadly silence when he entered, Eren still firmly asleep. Armin took off his short coat and put it on the hanger, stretching as he walked past the couch, emptying the bag onto the kitchen counter. He put on an apron as he set to work, trying his best to cook a decent meal for the hungover. He succeeded in the end, serving it with two packs of crackers. Armin walked over to Eren’s room, knocking lightly few times yet no one answered. He did his best in order to restrain himself from laughing at the scene as he peeked through the door. Eren was lying on the floor covered with nothing but a thin blanket, head resting against his slippers. Armin stomped on the boy’s hip and shook him.

“Nnngh, what?” Eren hummed, his voice dry and slow.

“I’m back, and I made you lunch.”

“I’m gonna puke if I put food into my mouth.”

“No you’re not, get up you lazy ass.”

“Five more minutes.”

“Ereeen!” Armin yelled teasingly as he pulled the blanket away, quickly going back to the door before Eren was able to react.

“Lunch is on the table. I’m going out again, we have a study group today. See you tonight!” His voice was followed by a loud thud as the door slammed closed. Eren stretched, bumping against the wall, realizing he had been sleeping on the floor for few hours. _What the hell?_ He forced himself to get up, the enticing aroma of freshly made miso soup and it’s location being his primary objective.

He got dressed, deciding to go with simple black, skinny jeans, a thin chain hanging on their left side and a black sweater. As he was stuffing Levi’s clothes into the bathroom hamper, a sudden thought crossed his mind. He hadn't  seen his phone, and it definitely wasn’t in his pocket as he pulled the pants fresh out of the closet. He went back into his cramped room, flipping over pillows, covers and even clothes, frantically searching for it. _I did not… No._ He did.

“Fuck, it probably fell out of my pocket while I was sleeping in that freak’s bathroom,” Eren whined to no one in particular, throwing himself onto the bed, covering face with his hands. He still remembered the path to the apartment clearly, yet he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to go there. The sole fact that he wasn’t _sure_ made Eren cringe as he ignored the sudden shudder at the thought of man’s voice. He got up, sniffing and trailing the smell to the kitchen where he found his meal completely served, a large pitcher with ice cold water next to plate. Surprisingly, the sight of food didn’t make him sick. He flopped to the chair, deciding to eat first and then head over to the dreadful place.

 

* * *

 

“Look what the cat dragged in.” Levi spoke in utter amusement when he saw Eren sitting in front of the entrance door of his building, night already fallen. “Missed me already?”

“I believe you found something that belongs to me.”

“Maybe. It depends on what you’re willing to give me in return.”

Eren stood up, his blood boiling, face distorting in anger. “I am not going to give you anything in return. I’m here to pick up my stuff, after which I plan on never seeing you again.”

Eren was bluffing, he himself quite aware of that, yet he felt the need to oppose the cocky man as his smirking face threw the youth over the edge.

“It doesn’t work that way,” Levi tilted his head, staring at Eren. “We’ll finish this inside, I don’t want neighbors to think I bully ten year olds,” he spoke, unlocking the door and shoving Eren inside, walking up the stairs to the door of his own apartment.

“You haven’t forgotten how to climb the stairs, _Eren?_ ”

Eren reluctantly followed him into a small, yet unbelievably neat apartment. Nothing was out of its place, not even the shoes which were stacked against the concrete wall in a perfect order. As he entered the kitchen area, Eren’s eyes landed on a black plastic bag laid on the counter, a phone on top of it.

“Friendly advice, Eren, don’t burn clothes in closed space, fire obviously has tendency to blow up,” noticing Eren’s terrified expression he quickly added, “I’m kidding, of course.”

“Huh, yeah,” Eren absently responded, his mind fogged and confused as he lowered his head, gaze meeting the dark wooden floor. “Uhm, I wanted to ask you something. If that’s okay with you.”

“Depends,” Levi replied, hopping onto the counter, crossing his legs and leaning a bit to the left. He looked somehow eerie under the faint moonlight, somehow mysterious, his aura enthralling, pulling Eren deeper into the void.

“I- I want to know your name!” Eren stated bluntly, his voice breaking.

“Do you really,” Levi asked, lighting a cigarette with his zippo and taking a long puff followed by loud exhale. “Knowing my name is a one way ticket.”

“To where?”

“You wanna find out?”

Eren stood silent, eyes locked with Levi’s, unsure of what to reply. He tried to speak, words stuck in his throat, mouth wide open.  Levi jumped down and walked over to him.

“Do you want to find out,” he asked in a low tone, pushing the boy against the kitchen wall, rising to the tip of his toes, “Eren?”

Levi caressed Eren’s cheek with his nose, inhaling boy’s fragrance as his tongue traced the jaw line, his teeth grazing the earlobe, nipping it softly. Eren let out a quiet moan, hands fisting the wall behind him. Levi inched away a bit, his grey eyes staring into Eren’s turquoise ones as if he was trying to burn a hole through the boy’s body. Without muttering a word he kissed Eren’s neck, sucking gently on his Adam’s apple. He moved a bit to the right, biting the soft skin, making sure to mark the boy. Eren ran his fingers through the shorter man’s raven hair, surprised at how soft it felt. He gripped it tightly and brought Levi’s face higher, flashing him a lusty grin before he clashed their lips together in a passionate kiss. Levi lowered his hands, thumbs drawing circles on Eren’s hip bones. He kept going lower, ignoring the crotch and groping Eren’s ass with both of his hands, squeezing it together. Eren moaned at the sudden action, biting man’s lower lip and licking his way back into his mouth. Levi massaged Eren’s buttocks through his jeans, fingers brushing over the thin line where they parted.

Eren broke the kiss, gasping in a desperate need of air, wriggling out of Levi’s grip and sputtering nonsense about a curfew and having to go home. He grabbed the bag along with his phone, shoving it down his pocket. He ran out of the apartment, skipping the stairs and bursting into the street, stumbling along the way. In the meantime, Levi leaned against the open window, waiting for the boy to appear beneath it. And he did.

“Oi!" he shouted, attracting Eren’s attention.

“My name is Levi.” He said, his voice low and amused, yet high enough for Eren to hear it as the boy looked up. “Remember it.”

Levi slammed the window shut, taking the last cigarette from the pack and lightning it as he turned his stereo on and sat on the couch, eyeing the creamy ceiling. The brat is sure interesting. Levi’s lips parted, corners curving a bit, Chopin’s Nocturne playing in the background.

“Armin, I’m home!” Eren yelled while taking off his shoes, receiving no response. He found the blond boy sound asleep on the couch as he entered the living room, his face calm and without any apparent  worries on his mind.

“Hey, Armin?” just as Eren was about to shake him awake, another male voice startled him, causing him to bump his knee against the coffee table.

“Don’t wake him up, I want to watch his sleeping face a bit longer.”

 _What the-._ Eren turned around, sighing in relief when he saw Jean’s face in the corner of the laptop screen. “That’s creepy.”

“Fuck you, Yeager. We talked for an hour, poor baby was so exhausted. I went to grab a cup of coffee and I found him snoring.”

“Isn’t that cute.” Eren barked back.

“Be useful and bring him a pillow and a blanket,” Jean demanded, leaving Eren not much of a choice. “And cover up that hickey. Honestly Eren, you’re shameless. What bit you, a lion?”

Eren choked at the remark, taking Armin’s phone off the table and eyeing his reflection in the screen. His eyes widened at the quite big, purple blotch on the left side of his neck, surrounded by a faint bite mark.

“Shit." It was all he could say. _I’m going to kill the bastard._

“I _really_ don’t want to know. Now go get the blanket, I don’t want my boyfriend to freeze to death.”

Eren didn’t bother to reply before closing the laptop, growling about stupidity and a certain horse face as he put the warm blanket over Armin, slipping a soft, feather pillow under his head. The boy didn’t budge, his hectic schedule finally catching up with him. The scene drew another smile from Eren, the image of Levi sleeping suddenly popping into his mind. He grimaced in disgust at himself, remembering everything that had happened, his own fingers brushing over the bruise on his neck. Eren hissed at the sudden friction, realizing that he in fact wasn’t stuck in a nightmare. He shook his head, grabbing the canned beer out of the fridge and settling himself on the balcony, leaning over the brick fence, his eyes fixed on colorful spots swarming the streets. His head fell forward, forehead resting on his arms, his face hot and flushed as memories of Levi’s hands exploring his body came rushing back. "Ah, I'm fucked."

A part of him wanted it to be true. 


	3. It's been so long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> proofread by my [betrothed](http://archiveofourown.org/users/eren) ♡  
> enjoy yourselves!! bc I really don't have much to add.  
> note to self: never let your best friend [edit your fic](http://i.imgur.com/6lXmmrA.png)

In a blink of an eye a month had passed. Eren tried his best to keep a decent balance between classes and sleep, needless to say, failing horribly in the process. They did say the freshman year was tough, but he didn’t expect this level of torture. The only good thing about it was that he hadn’t seen the short freak, and hoped it will stay that way. _Not that he thought about him or anything._

“Argh, I’m a failure,” he groaned, dramatically slumping his shoulders and leaning his head face first on the cafeteria table. He glanced at Armin. “I am never going to pass this exam. I think Shadis hates me.”

“Threatening to key his car and ending up being overheard is not going to grant you a pass either,” Armin said, smacking Eren on the head. “Anyway, I have a favor to ask.” He slurped down his vanilla shake as he went on, his voice confident. “Can I have the apartment for myself tonight?”

“Huh?” Eren replied, surprised by request.

“No, I mean… Jean came back yesterday and is coming over, so I had a romantic, you know... dinner in mind.” He threw a desperate look at Eren, stressing out the word dinner, hoping the other would catch on without Armin having to add any unnecessary details.

“Oh. _Ooooh._ Sure, no problem. You two lovebirds take all the time you need, I’ll manage somehow.”

Armin’s lips curled into a wide smile, eyes glowing with excitement. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“Yeah, I’ll hit the bar or something.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to go somewhere you can study?”

“Just don’t do it on the table, people eat there.” Eren ignored Armin’s question, his chuckle cut off by a punch to his shoulder. Eren winced and then laughed as he eyed the blond whose pouting face was turning very, _very_ red.

“Thank you!” Armin squeaked as he bit the straw, slurping down the last of his shake.

“No problem, say hi to horse face from me.”

“Can’t you call him Jean for once?”

“See you tomorrow.” He planted a soft peck on Armin’s cheek. Eren stood up, gathering the leftovers of his food and placing them back on the tray, putting it away as he left the hall.

* * *

“Eren, Eren! How do I look?” Armin hopped onto him in the hallway just as he was about to open the door. The boy had a habit of doing that.

“Armin, I’m sure you look great.” He turned around, instantly stunned. Armin was wearing light colored skinny jeans, perfectly fitting around his lean thighs, paired with a simple, black shirt with the Tardis stamped on the front of it. His long hair, usually covering his shoulders, was now tied in a messy ponytail, a few strands of hair surrounding his pale, doll-like face, square glasses completing his look. “You look... wow,” was all Eren managed to say in a stunned voice.

“Ahhh, I’m so nervous.” Armin rushed to the bathroom, fixing his hair in the mirror. Eren leaned on the door frame, assuring the anxious boy he looked absolutely fine and that everything was going to be okay. “Shit, the food is going to burn!” He pushed past Eren and skipped to the kitchen, knocking over a newspaper stand in the process.

“Don’t burn the building down while I’m gone!” Eren shouted from the hallway, putting his leather jacket on. He heard a loud crash, followed by the sound of the frying pan hitting the tiled kitchen floor as he smiled and rolled his eyes, closing the door behind him. He got out on the streets, sighing at the choice of the places he could go. He wished he’d stayed in his room and slept, but considering the circumstances, he discarded the thought as soon as it came.

“Haaa,” he groaned in annoyance, choosing to go with his favorite bar. Alcohol did seem bit off-putting after the incident, but there was nothing wrong with going out for a drink, right? The night was closing in, chilly breeze howling through streets. He crossed the road, turning left and cutting the path short through a tiny alley that smelled of piss and vomit. The smell made his stomach turn. Ten minutes later he was sitting in a corner of the pub, far from curious glances as he drank his blackberry cider.

“You’re in my spot.” Eren flinched at the voice that came from behind him. Before he could even react, the person sat across him, taking a sip of what seemed to be orange juice. He’d never seen someone sit so gracefully, legs crossed so as if he were a member of the royal family. Egoistic asshole. Eren eyed the tough looking man in a long, black coat and blue jeans, heavy boots clanking against the iron table leg as he swayed his right foot left and right, producing quite an annoying noise.

“So you’re stalking me now?” Eren snarled, his face twisting in what was supposed to be a frown.

“Think of this as a fortunate, unplanned meeting.”

“Creep. What’s with the orange juice?”

“I drive. I also don’t drink and puke on people as a hobby.” Levi teased. “I know you’re pathetic, but drinking alone on friday night?”

“You’re annoying.”

Levi took a sip of the juice, and, flicking the straw with his tongue, locked his eyes with Eren’s, propping himself on an elbow. “So?”

“Argh.” Eren groaned as he lowered his head onto his hands resting crossed on the marble surface. “My roommate is having his boyfriend over tonight. They hadn’t seen each other for a month and they’re pretty much going to screw till morning and I’m not really interested in listening to my childhood friend have sex with another guy,” he recited the words muffled by his sleeves.

“Odd, you left the impression of quite a pervert on me.”

“Shut up,” Eren mumbled, not bothering to lift his head up to say it.

“You’re just jealous because he’s getting some at this very moment and you aren’t.”

“Just drink your goddamn juice.”

“Hmph,” Levi hummed in delight.

They sat together in silence, Eren hissing now and then, awkwardly trying to glance through the window only to be greeted by Levi’s deep stare in the reflection. He realized that the best option was to stare at the cider bottle. And then his stomach betrayed him, producing the most embarrassing sound as a consequence of the fact that he hadn’t eaten all day. Levi looked as if he had been waiting for it to happen for the last 30 minutes they sat together. He pulled out his phone and checked the time, breaking the awkward silence as he spoke to the boy.

“Well would you look at the time, why don’t we go grab something to eat.”

“Huh?” Eren blurted out in shock. _Did the shortie get drunk on orange juice?_

“You’re really slow, aren’t you. I’m asking you out on a date, considering you’re both broke and homeless.”

It took few seconds for Eren to process what Levi had said and, and figuring it out, he yelped in surprise. He felt a tingling sensation in his cheeks and before he knew it, Levi placed a ten dollar bill on the table and dragged him outside. The breeze chilled his body and he shuddered, in spite of wearing a jacket.

“Where do you want to go?”

“Uhm...” Eren looked away, embarrassed. “Anything is good, I guess.” He muttered under his breath.

“I didn’t ask you to guess.”

“... Let’s just grab a burger or something.”

“What are you waiting for, then?” Levi raised his voice, already few feet ahead of him. Eren shook his head and sped his pace, catching up with the shorter man. They found a small fast food restaurant not a block away, Levi ordering and paying for both of them, this making Eren extremely uncomfortable as they picked up their bags and left the place. Eren had no idea where Levi was taking him, but despite his cold and rude demeanor he somehow found it easy to trust him. Was it his voice, his speech pattern, he had no idea.

“Ah, this is vacant enough.” Levi suddenly stopped. Eren looked around, finding himself in an abandoned park, two swings moonlit just enough to be visible if you focus on them, a rusted slide on the right. “Hurry up.” Levi raised an eyebrow as he went forward and sat on the swing, opening the wrapping and inhaling rich smell of roasted meat and sauce. Eren joined him soon, stomach acting up again at the sudden aroma. The place was devoid of people and cars, the only sound coming from dozens of crickets hiding in the tall bushes and trees.

“Bon appetit,” Levi said, stressing the syllables for effect.

“You too,” Eren replied, his voice somehow even, and took a bite.

“Is everything alright?” Levi asked, just barely noticing Eren’s change of voice.

“Yeah.”

“I see.”

“It’s just that,” Eren went on, “My mom used to take me to playgrounds a lot. Since I came from a rich family, my father never really had enough time and there weren’t many instances in which I was allowed to play with the other kids. And it really made me happy, seeing her smile only to me.” _Why am I telling him this?_

“You speak of her as if she’s no longer alive.”

“She isn’t. She died 9 years ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What about your family?”

Levi’s breath hitched and he felt pained, his demeanor changing by one-eighty in a second and he snarled hostilely back at Eren. “None of your goddamn business.”

Eren kept silent in slight shock. His question, however, triggered horrifying memories in Levi’s head, memories of blood and its nauseating stench. Memories of desperate calls for help, as he sat there crying, dirtied, unable to move a finger.

“Hey. Levi?” Eren asked, his voice shaky. “Are you okay? You look pale.” He brought his swing closer, raising his hand, feeling Levi’s forehead with the back of it. Testing.

“What are you doing?” Levi seemed and sounded pissed off, but Eren had a feeling he was rather putting up a show to hide the embarrassment, perhaps even a weakness, than being sincere about it. His voice was different, there was a hint of fear in it. For the small amount of time Eren had spent him, he always appeared so tough and stubborn. Yet now he seemed frailer than a crystal glass about to shatter on collision with the floor, if Eren made a push.

“You look sick.” Eren simply said, tangling his fingers in Levi’s hair, gently rubbing his scalp.

Levi inched away momentarily, spluttering about being perfectly fine and fixing his bangs. He looked at his food. Somehow, he had lost the appetite and swallowing another bite would be equal to swallowing a fork. Eren side-glanced Levi, unsure of what to do. _How did it come to this?_ , he asked himself and then he stood up, figuring it out. Or at least he thought he had it figured out.

“My name is Eren Yeager, I’m 18 years old, I’m a first year student of English and Turkish languages. I live with my roommate, Armin, who I’ve known since I was three, also the person who kicked me out of our shared apartment so that he could have sex with his boyfriend, so I am putting myself in your care. And you better do a damn good job of it.” Eren breathed the sentences.

Levi stared at him, rendered speechless by the brown haired boy’s actions.

“Sit down.” He ordered while pulling by his sleeve, Eren landing and almost falling backwards over the small plastic seat of the swing. _Great, now I totally fucked up_ , Eren assumed. He sat there in silence, hands clawing at his thighs nervously after he’d finished the meal. He’d been lost in his thoughts, so the sudden feeling of a warm hand against his cheek caused him to yelp. He looked at Levi, who was now only inches away from his face, thumb sliding over his upper lip, absorbing the softness of the pink flesh.

“What are you doing?” Eren asked, trying to back away when Levi held the back of his head with his other hand, pulling him closer, their noses now touching.

“My name is Levi, I’m 29 years old and I’m about to shut your blabbing mouth, Eren Yeager.” Levi murmured, his voice low and enchanting, covering Eren’s skin in goosebumps. Eren figured there was no need to reply. He ignored the blush creeping up his neck and cheeks, as he stared into Levi’s eyes, tired, yet beautiful eyes. Levi planted a rough kiss on Eren’s lips, the hand that held Eren’s head now slipping lower, fingers brushing the nape of the boy’s neck. Eren let out a loud moan, startling both of them.

_“Oh?”_

He had never felt this embarrassed in his short life, a possibility of there being a cloud of steam coming from his eyes now not that impossible sounding. He turned his head away, unable to look Levi in the eyes. _What the fuck was that?_ Levi, on the other hand, enjoyed the sudden outburst. He pulled closer the swing Eren was sitting on, and locked his lips with the boy’s without giving him a chance to protest.

“We should continue at my place.” Levi leaned back just enough to whisper against Eren’s lips, his hot breath driving Eren into a state of delirium. “Considering you’ve been kicked out of your own apartment. You still owe me for saving your skinny ass.”

“Yes,” the answer came out as a gasp.

Levi glanced down, smirking at the sight of Eren pants which were definitely tighter than they were a few moments ago. _They’re so cute when they’re young._ “Can you hold it in your pants until we reach the apartment? My motorcycle is a minute of walk from here.”

Eren nodded, words stuck in his throat as he followed Levi onto the main road. Levi grabbed two helmets out of the box upon reaching the motorcycle, throwing one at Eren, climbing the bike and starting it up. Saying the boy was amazed by the scene that followed would be an understatement. Despite his lack of height, Levi looked as if he had jumped out of an action movie.

“Well, you going or not?”

Eren shook his head and put the helmet on, carefully sitting behind Levi and wrapping his arms around the man’s waist.

“That better be your phone that’s poking me in the ass.”

“I-”

“Kidding. Keep it that way,” he said as he grinded against Eren’s crotch. “Hold tight.”

* * *

The door to Levi’s apartment opened with a loud thud as the two crashed against the wall of the narrow hallway. Eren’s hands were touching Levi’s body all over as he sucked on his tongue. Levi broke from the kiss in order to close the door, shoving Eren against them and ordering him to take off his shoes.

“Just because I let you in does not mean you can dirty up my place.”

“Fine,” Eren grumbled with a frown on his face. Levi took off his coat, hanging it neatly on the hook, doing the same with Eren’s jacket. In a second Levi was back on Eren, his lips attached to Eren’s neck, sucking and biting the exposed skin, causing the boy to gasp. Eren directed him away from his neck and up, catching Levi’s lips in a wet, sloppy kiss. Once they parted, they stared at each other for a moment, Eren’s hands still on Levi’s face, thumbs brushing over the edges his lips. Levi tilted his head and took one of Eren’s hands into his own, kissing and licking the middle of his palm.

“I think just I came up with an idea on how you should repay your debt. That is, a part of it.” He breathed against Eren’s palm, never breaking eye contact as he did so. “You’ll suck me off so hard with that big babbling mouth of yours, there won’t be a single drop of cum left in my body.”

Eren grabbed Levi by the shoulders, turned him around and pinned him against the wall, kissing him hard. He traced down the man’s neck with his tongue, briefly nibbling on his adam’s apple and then collarbones, hands all the while holding his hips. He slid down onto his knees, unbuckling Levi’s belt and then unzipping the jeans with his teeth, sliding them down along with Levi’s underwear. Levi gasped at the cold air that hit his crotch. Eren wasted no time as he took the hardened flesh into his hand, licking the shaft and planting a kiss on the head, then tonguing the slit. He used his other hand to cup the man’s balls, giving them a light squeeze. Levi didn’t make a sound, but judging by the sudden change in his breathing Eren could tell the man was satisfied. Eren took him in, swirling his tongue around the head at first. He stuck his tongue out for a brief moment to lick the underside, looking up at Levi as he swallowed him whole, drawing a gasp from him. He bobbed his head up and down, lips tight around Levi’s cock, tip grazing the back of his throat.

“God, I had no idea you were this good.” Levi grunted as he fisted Eren’s hair, pulling the boy closer in, bucking his hips slightly into his mouth, head falling back. “Faster.”

Eren moaned, the vibration sending shivers down Levi’s spine, drawing out a whine of sheer pleasure from him. Eren picked up his pace, moving up and down at steadily, saliva and precum dripping down the corners of his mouth.

“Ah, I’m close. Be a good boy and take it all.”

Eren moaned again around Levi’s cock and, with a loud groan, he came, spilling into Eren’s mouth. Eren sucked hard, licking the last drop of cum and swallowing it, softly gasping for air as he backed away. It took few seconds for Levi to gather his composure. He pulled his pants up, landing his foot on Eren’s crotch, the boy’s pants as tight as they could get, his cock aching for attention.

“Sucking me off made you this hard? You’re truly a gem, _Yeager._ ”

Levi pulled him up, and Eren leaned in dangerously close in order to kiss him.

“Don’t you even dream about kissing me after sucking my dick. It’s disgusting.”

“You sure know how to kill the mood.”

“I don’t see you getting any softer.”

“Tsch.”

Levi grabbed Eren by his collar and pushed him onto the couch, landing on top, thighs on either side as he began grinding his ass against Eren’s erection. He moved back a bit to trace the lines of Eren’s abdomen with his right hand and unzip his pants excruciatingly slowly, fingertips grazing against the head as he reached down his underwear to wrap his fingers around the shaft. Eren was already on the edge, a few firm strokes getting him off. He felt his eyes grow heavy as the orgasm faded, falling asleep mere seconds later.

“You’re no fun,” Levi cackled as he wiped the boy’s stomach with a paper tissue.

Morning came, autumn sun burning bright through the balcony door, blinding Eren’s eyes. He rubbed them, squinting at his surroundings. He was lying on the couch covered with a blanket, a pillow beneath his head. He could smell bacon, the sizzling sound filling Eren’s ears and making his stomach growl in hunger. He sat up and looked around, almost choking on his own spit when he saw Levi in the kitchen, preparing food, tightly gripping a spatula in his right hand.

“Thank God you’re finally up, I was starting to think I choked you to death with my dick last night.”

“Good morning to you too,” Eren grumbled, rubbing his neck. “It smells good.”

“Of course it does. By the way, I assume it was your roommate that has been calling for the past four hours. How do you sleep through such an annoying sound?”

“Four hours... What time it is?”

“Noon."

“WHAT?!”

“Are you always so loud? Get up and eat, I’ll drive you home.”

Eren was dumbfounded for a second, convinced this was all a dream. _It’s not that I hadn’t been intimate with anyone, but a 30 year old man..._

“I’m 29, excuse you.”

“Huh?”

“You tend to think out loud, you haven’t noticed?”

Eren flopped back onto the couch, grabbing the phone from his pocket. 7 _missed calls, huh._ Armin must have gone crazy from worry. He typed a message consisting only of few words, telling Armin he’s fine and that he’ll be home soon. He got up and sat at the counter, his mouth watering as he stared at the delicious looking food. He finished his breakfast in silence, throwing secretive glances at Levi, who busied himself with observing the cigarette smoke floating in front of him with his usual grumpy face on. Eren figured out he’d feel guilty about it later, everything felt too good at the moment. After the pretty satisfying breakfast Levi drove him home, saying goodbye with nothing but a silent _hmph_ as he rode away, a thick cloud of dust rising behind. Just as Eren was about to enter the apartment, his phone rang and he picked it up in annoyance.

“Armin, I’m in front of the-”

“Eren?” a hoarse voice replied.

“Dad?!”

“Yeah. Long time no hear, Eren.”

 


	4. Pull the blinds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> same old, same old.  
> proofread by my [loved one](http://archiveofourown.org/users/eren) ♡ i love you all and thank you ♡

Levi lazily climbed the stairs, skipping left to right, dodging the rotten food and cat shit. His face was stoic, yet slight change in his posture as he eyed the door knob gave him away. He figured that there was no need to unlock the door, as he simply pushed them open.

“Didn’t your parents teach you not to break into other people’s homes?” Levi said as he entered his apartment, a hint of irritation in his voice. He took off his boots and put them away, aligning them in proper order. The place stank of whiskey accompanied by sickening, sweet stench, distorting his face in disgust. The blinds were drawn, dimming the light trying to seep through the slits. “May I ask what brings you here, Erwin?”

A large man sat on the couch, his back facing Levi as he entered the living area, his blond hair slicked back. His attire was simple, dark grey jeans and a white shirt, accompanied by a black jacket which once seemed to be be a part of an expensive suit. He put his legs on the coffee table, boots dirtied with dried mud, a scotch bottle resting on the edge of the table along with a pair of sunglasses. _The bastard didn’t even bother with taking his shoes off._

“Is that how you greet an old friend you haven’t seen in a year,” he chuckled, taking a drag of his cigarette, exhaling it in puffs a few seconds later.

“What’s with the jacket? I had no idea they taught fashion in jail.” Levi sneered as he sat on the stool and leaned against the counter surface, crossing his legs. The strong smell of an unknown sweet mixed with Chanel’s Allure made his stomach turn, yet it somehow managed to direct blood to his groin.

“As abrasive as ever,” Erwin muttered, not bothering with turning his head around, taking another long drag of his cigarette and gulping down some of the scotch.

“They obviously don’t teach manners,” Levi snarled back at him, getting up and kicking his feet off the table. Chunks of dried mud were all over the surface, as well as carpet. “What have I told you about your feet and my furniture?” Levi stole the bottle out of his grip, gulping down half of what was left in one go, groaning at the sudden fire burning his throat and stomach. He flopped next to Erwin, eyes focused on a dusty bulb hanging by the thin cable.

“I missed you,” he uttered, eyes closed as his chest rose up and fell down slowly.

“Now, did you really? I heard you found yourself a new boy toy while I was gone.”

“He would have gotten raped, probably killed if I hadn’t interfered.”

“So you do have feelings.”

“Shut up.”

Levi straddled Erwin, bottle still tightly held in his right hand, as he squeezed the large man’s thighs with his thin muscular legs. He curled his arms around him, breathing into his wide, exposed neck.

“I see, so the kitty got lonely.” Erwin whispered as he caressed Levi’s lips with his finger, his hips slightly bucking and grazing against Levi. He tangled the other hand in Levi’s raven hair, cigarette stuck between his fingers. He caressed Levi’s earlobe, now red and hot, as if he had touched the fire itself. _The fire wouldn’t burn this much._ The sudden thought made Erwin grin.

“Bastard,” was all Levi could mutter before Erwin cut him off, kissing him violently and biting on his lower lip so hard it bled. He stuck his tongue out, licking the droplets of the crimson liquid as he continued to invade the shorter man’s mouth, moans vibrating down his throat. Levi took another gulp of alcohol, not swallowing it as he kissed Erwin, passing the liquid into his mouth, licking his way back in.

“Eager, aren’t we? Get off of me now, I’ve got news to share with you,” he spoke, his voice stoic, as he shook Levi off and got up, the man landing on the hard floor, his back bumping into the edge of the coffee table. Pain pierced through Levi’s spine, the impact so strong that it would certainly leave a bruise across his lower back. He flung the bottle at Erwin, the glass shattering against the wall as the taller man simply dipped his head to dodge it. The liquor spattered the wall, leaving stains in a wide radius. Levi’s blood was boiling, arousement long forgotten and followed by fury as he rubbed the spot that, he had been sure, was already covered in shades of blue and purple. He wanted to scream, to destroy everything he could get a hold of, yet one look at Erwin broke the illusion. He was a helpless child sitting on the cold pavement, face smeared with blood as the tall, kind looking man smiled at him and caressed his hair. He felt small and insignificant once again. _It was the same back then, it will stay that way. I’ll be the weak, pathetic piece of shit while you’ll always save the day._

“I haven’t been able to trace our man.” Erwin broke his trail of thoughts, speaking as he glanced outside the window. For a split moment the expression on his face softened, eyes brimming with grief. He shook it off, turning his back to Levi who had seen it all. After spending your life with a person, they become a book with private access to only few.

“It seems that the prison scum isn’t as mouthy as I expected. At least when it comes to words.” His tone was confident, somehow menacing.

“Did you even do anything beside bending over to pick up the soap?” Levi felt sick. Sick of the nauseating sweet note of caramel, sick of the alcohol he gulped down. _Sick of the fact that this motherfucker messed up my apartment._

Erwin turned around, hands crossed, grinning at Levi and eyeing him as the younger man sat helplessly on the floor, rubbing the sore spot on his back. And they call you the Mad Dog.

“The bastard had hidden his traces good, leaving his old life behind, changing his name, going so far as making a deal with the higher ups that paid him in the first place, living in luxury ever since. He even fathered a boy. Around twenty, they say.”

“What do you want me to do, fuck him?” Levi spat out blood that had piled up in his mouth, the soft fabric of the carpet absorbing the liquid, leaving only specks behind.

“Always thinking with your dick, huh. The brat will be our target. We put the brat down, we have him cornered. That is, after you put him down.”

“Put down?” He flinched a bit, doing his best to keep a straight face, familiar, unpleasant feeling curling up in his stomach. “None of this would have happened if you had done a double check on the guys you apparently took down,” Levi hissed. “The child did nothing wrong.”

“Does that mean your mother did?” Levi’s eyed widened at Erwin’s words, little of strength that he had left leaving his body, a wave of nausea overflowing. “Does that mean your mother had done something wrong to have her life taken in such gruesome way?”

He did his best to keep it down as appalling images sequenced into his mind, screams echoing in his ears.

“I thought so,” Erwin stated emotionless, lighting a cigarette. He stepped closer to Levi and crouched, grabbing his hair and exposing the man’s neck, tracing it with his tongue and nibbling on the smooth skin. “I’ll come,” he planted a soft kiss on the now wet flesh, “and see you as soon as I gather more information,” and another. “Clean up this shithole in the meantime.”

Having said what he intended to say, he jerked Levi back to the floor as he grabbed his sunglasses and strolled out, shutting the door behind him. Levi sat on the floor, blood dripping down his chin as he stared at his hands, his mind devoid of thoughts. The scotch had been dripping off the walls onto the shattered glass beneath. He took a piece, eyeing it, fingers brushing over sharp edges. His head fell down, lips curling into a smile and as he looked up, his eyes started stinging. There were no tears coming out, as he had done his deed of crying 19 years ago. He dropped the shard, rising his fist and studying it, slowly loosening his clenched fingers covered in blood, eyeing the deep cut across his palm, dark and thick liquid seeping out of it. Fuck. He jumped up, staggering and knocking over the floor lamp, the wide bulb shattering into pieces. He ignored the pain in his feet as the tiny glass stuck to his socks, rummaging through drawers in search of a bandage. Blood had been dripping everywhere, staining his floor, carpet, even furniture. He found a stash of few gauzes and plasters, bottle of vodka hiding behind them. He poured the alcohol over the wound, letting out a painful groan as he applied pressure to the cut, the gauze turning red seconds after.

He laid on the couch, arms and body gone limp as the scotch he drank finally took its toll. He felt bare, as if someone had stripped him of his own skin, the breeze coming from the balcony eating away his flesh and muscles. Closing his eyes and breathing in deeply, Levi desperately tried to soothe the whirlwind before him. The scent of liquor mixed with note of Allure was still heavy, causing him a migraine. He pinched the bridge of his nose, face distorting in pain now radiating through his temples. He heard knocks. They were silent, prudent at first - knocks expected from an uninvited guest. Yet they grew louder and more violent with time passing, hammering nails into his already tortured conscious. He got up, cursing, as he stumbled to the door and opened them, leaning onto the frame.

“What do you two want?” He was staring at a duo in their early twenties. A tall, thin man with a teasing face and deep smile lines, his hair blond with darker shades of brown as he too had an undercut, accompanied by a petite woman with large eyes and the most gentle face Levi had ever seen. _After my mother’s._

The man cackled, raising his eyebrow. “A person would think you’d appreciate your only friends a bit more.” He slouched his bony shoulders, wriggling past Levi into the apartment, yelling in disgust as he ogled his surroundings. “What the hell happened in here?”

“An accident, as you can see,” Levi replied calmly, directing his gaze back to the girl, seeking some answers. “So?”

“We were passing by and we saw Erwin in the area, so you know…” She looked as if she was about to cry, yet Levi knew she was better than that. He’d known her for a long time and to tell the truth, she might had kicked more asses than he himself did. _Her boyfriend was a different story, though,_ Levi thought as he glanced at the waste of air going by the name of Auruo, spinning on the stool, his nose twitching at the smell of alcohol and expensive perfume.

“Are you okay? You don’t look very good,” she startled Levi a bit, cutting of his thoughts as her hand brushed his bangs. He gently slapped her away, moving a bit to the side in order to let her in. Her high pitched yelp as she saw the mess sent another bolt of pain through his forehead. Honestly.

“What happened in here?”

She sounds pretty shocked. “Nothing.”

“Levi?”

“I said nothing. So are you planning on camping here? Because I was about to go out.”

“Bullshit,” Auruo muttered under his breath, loud enough for Levi to overhear him. “You’re so wasted you can’t even stand properly.”

“You would know.”

“Stop acting like children,” she huffed, annoyed.

“Do whatever you want, I’m leaving. There might be even some coffee left so enjoy yourselves.” The tone of Levi voice left them with no option, both knowing that. He faltered, grabbing the nearest wall as he tried to clear his head. He put on his coat and slammed the door shut.

“Honestly Petra, what did you see in him,” Auruo mocked in search of a broom.

“Shut up,” she cut him off, flopping onto another stool, sighing with a hint of annoyance in her voice. “It stinks in here.”

* * *

Levi wandered the dirty alleys, far from curious glances, far from nauseating noise and crowd, his only companions stray cats and few fat rats. As he turned right, his foot suddenly got stuck between a rusty trashcan and a pile of black plastic bags, oozing a foul odor that smelled of rotten eggs. He squirmed a bit, releasing himself as he sped up his pace and left the claustrophobic surrounding of narrow backstreets. He stepped out onto the main road, people swarming the crossing from all sides, their transparent umbrellas glimmering as rain tapped against the firm plastic. He glanced left and right, absorbing the scenery, his hair now wet and slicked against his forehead. He crossed the road, striding along the pavement, the swift river below filling his ears with it’s melody. He stopped somewhere along the middle, his legs giving him away. The rain came pouring down, soaking his coat as he stood leaning over the thick concrete fence, flicking a black zippo with his long fingers. Suddenly something, no, someone bumped into the back of his knees as he felt pokes with a metal object. He turned around, noticing no one was standing there. _And another poke._ He looked down, his eyes meeting a gaze of a young boy, not older than two, poking him with ends of his kid-sized umbrella. He stared at Levi for a bit, weighing the danger of talking to strangers, from which Levi drew a conclusion he was dealing with an intelligent child. The kid slowly raised his hand holding the umbrella, jerking it a bit.

“Here, mister,” he said in his child voice as he rose to the tip of his toes, trying to reach Levi’s waist. The kid nudged him with the umbrella when it finally sunk in. He crouched, raindrops dripping down his face as he smiled at the boy whose bright green eyes were staring at him in curiosity and delight.

“No, keep it. This mister is old, he’ll manage somehow.” He wiped his fingers with a handkerchief he wound inside his pocket, proceeding to pat the boy’s head who blinked few times before his lips curled into a wide grin.

“Ahh, Ryuu!” A woman’s voice cut them off, a tall brunette ran across the clogged street in panic. “How many times have I told you not to wander off on your own!” She wrinkled her nose as she glanced at Levi, as if he was the plague itself trying to hurt her precious baby. “Let’s go, Ryuu.” Without another word she dragged him away, quickly getting lost in the horde. _Hmph,_ Levi smiled to himself, _I really thought I had gotten used to the stares._ He clenched his wet shirt, the droplets slithering down his wrists. _Obviously not._ He just now noticed the rain had stopped, its scent still heavy in the air as he reached down his other pocket, taking out a brand new pack of Marlboro Menthols. Lighting one and inhaling the menthol aroma as strongly as he could, Levi leaned back against the wall, shooting a glance at the sky, lips slightly parted. Shades of red, yellow and orange were spilling, creating a breathtaking gradient resembling a large fire, the one that swallows forests, cities, lives.  

It reminded him of Eren. The fact that the boy had been creeping up on him frightened Levi. It had in fact frightened him a lot. He told himself countless times that he did it just because he was there, that he had no intentions of cleaning up such a young corpse. _He doesn’t look homeless,_ he thought at that time, _his family and friends are probably waiting for him to return._

There was something about the brat, Levi himself not sure what. Whether it was his impulsiveness and sharp tongue, persistence mirroring a raging fire or his stupid remarks, he did not know, but the sudden throb in his chest he felt while thinking of the blunt face and stubborn eyes worried him.

“Levi?” Levi flinched. _Speak of the devil._

Eren stomped over, his footsteps muffled by the cars and the coursing river, hands tucked in his jacket pockets. Levi let out a groan of annoyance, not bothering to look at the boy chose to look at the water instead, taking another drag.

“What are you doing here?” Levi barked.

“I was passing by and I saw you standing here and…”

“And what?”

“Please don’t kill yourself!” He shouted, Levi’s face now distorting into what was supposed to be a mixture of shock and fury as he rolled his eyes.

“What are you talking about?” Levi turned around, shooting a venomous glance at Eren, causing the boy to flinch. _Yes, good. Be scared. Be scared and go away._ He didn’t move.

“Huh? Weren’t you going to-?”

“You’re indeed stupid. Go away, I’m not in the mood.” Levi backed away, staggering a bit as he tried to catch his balance, the fact that his clothes and body were damp not helping. He managed to take few steps before he suddenly fell down on his knees, firmly gripping the fence with his wounded hand, vision blurring as a result of sudden fatigue and excruciating pain pulsing in his left palm.

“Levi!” It took a split second for Eren to pick him up, Levi’s head leaning on his shoulder. A few people turned their heads, some even tried to help but Eren gestured them that everything was okay. Once he regained his consciousness back, he tried to shake Eren off, mumbling something Eren couldn’t quite decipher, yet he was pretty sure it included the words _brat_ and _stupid_. Eren didn’t let it get to him as he grabbed the man’s elbow, squeezing him firmly, their eyes meeting. Levi’s glare was toxic, Eren’s more determined than usual and in that moment, Levi knew he had lost.

“You’re freezing.”

“I am fine.”

“And you’re wet.”

“Now it’s not the time, Eren.”

Eren rolled his eyes, dragging the man on the other side and pushing him into the silver Golf V parked in front of the local bakery, throwing a soft towel he picked up from the back seat  into his face.

“Dry yourself, you’ll freeze to death.”

“It’s dirty.”

“You’ll get sick if you don’t, it’s a long ride.”

“Didn’t know you could drive.” Levi smirked as he ruffled his hair with the towel, side eyeing Eren who was nervously patting his pockets in search of keys. Eren decided it would be the best to ignore the snarky remark. He yelled victoriously as he found them, turning on the car and the heating, managing to get back on the road without killing anyone.

“Change your shirt, there’s one in the back.”

“What if you get horny when you see my naked body and drive into a building? I don’t plan on dying with _you_.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, it’s not among my priorities either.”

“Hmph.” Levi took off his coat and shirt, neatly folding them despite being soaked wet, putting them behind the front seat as Eren desperately tried to do his best and not glance in his direction. He failed miserably, throwing a secret look and almost choking on his own spit. Levi may had been short, but he was _fit._ Muscular, yet lean, his biceps round and abdomen hard, his abs visible. Eren swallowed, quickly diverting his eyes and focusing back on the road, hoping Levi didn’t notice.

“What kind of shitty shirt is this?” Levi looked down, eyeing the same he had just put on. It was grey and pretty big, at least for him, with a picture of a dolphin on it. Eren observed him and broke into a laugh fit as his eyed fled from Levi’s grumpy face to the cute animal.

“It’s my roommate’s,” he somehow managed to breathe out.

“Whatever. At least it’s fresh.”

Levi rested his chin onto the hand, looking through the window for the rest of the ride, pouting and moodier than usual. _At least I’ll be home soon._ It wasn’t until ten minutes later that he noticed they weren’t in his area.

“I thought you were going to take me home.”

“I’m taking you back to my apartment. There’s no way I’d let you die in that tiny ice cave.”

“Why are you doing this?” Levi asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice as he met Eren’s eyes for a brief moment.

“You saved _my_ ass once,” Eren squirmed in his seat, looking away and blushing. His answer drew a disinterested _oh_ from Levi’s mouth. They arrived at their destination shortly after, Levi reluctant and unsure of Eren’s idea. He had no choice though, as his body was shaking and he could feel the heat building up in his head, signalling a highly possible fever.

“Hey, are you alright?” For the short time he knew the brat, he never heard Eren sound so frightened and caring. As hard as he tried to understand the boy’s intentions, he failed, his mind fogged, sudden headache narrowing his line of sight. He found his words unable to flow out.

“Yeah,” was all he muttered, following Eren into a tall building which was in a pretty good state. It even had an elevator, but since the boy’s apartment was located on the third  floor it was easier, not to mention faster to walk. As they entered the hallway, Eren didn’t bother taking his shoes off, much to Levi’s disgust, as he opened the bathroom and turned on the light, ordering him to take a hot shower while he went on to make some tea. He pulled out sweatpants and a shirt out of the closet and tossed them at Levi, smiling, as he proceeded to the kitchen. He put the water onto the stove and pulled out the sofa bed, bunking few clean pillows and two warm, fuzzy blankets onto it. By the time the tea was done, he heard the bathroom door open. Levi walked into the living room just as Eren put down two mugs onto the coffee table, strawberry scent filling the place. Eren glanced at him. His cheeks were flushed, eyes heavy and tired. He walked over, slapping his hands away as Levi tried to defend, bumping their foreheads together.

“You’re burning up. Sit down.”

“I’m fine.”

“Sit. Down.”

“Annoying brat.”

Eren walked to the cabinet in the corner, searching for something in the drawers. A few moments later he found a green package, popping two pills into his hand and shoving them into Levi’s, handing over the tea mug. “Take these.”

Levi sulked for a minute, grimacing at the pills, finally gulping them down after Eren cocked his eyebrow. _A brat treating me like a brat, hilarious._ He sighed, laying down and covering himself with blanket, his body shaking. _Honestly, this is outrageous._

“Where’s your roommate?” Levi asked, _not_ trying to start a conversation, just wanting to know a completely irrelevant fact. At least he tried convincing himself he didn’t want to.

“At his boyfriend’s place,” Eren replied, flopping next to Levi and turning the TV on. He changed few channels, yelling in delight as he found out that one of the them was showing “Die Hard”.

“Oi, what’s the meaning of this, we’re not sleeping together.” Levi grit his teeth, glaring at Eren. _What does he take me for, I’m a grown ass man._ However, the boy ignored him, eyes and mind focused on the TV screen. He was excited, emotions radiating out of him. In a weird, twisted way, he looked somehow _cute._

An hour and a half later, the movie had ended and Eren turned off the TV, sighing in satisfaction. “Wasn’t that amazing or what!” His voice was greeted by nothing but silence.

“Levi?” Eren glanced at him. He was sound asleep, his back facing Eren, blanket resting on his hips, his shirt slightly pulled up. Eren brought his knees closer, wrapping his thin arms around them as he laid his head down and gazed at Levi. He could feel his heart beating faster, something he wasn’t too happy about. Levi was a mystery, a riddle that Eren wanted to solve, its solution to be known only to him. His eyes followed the line of his small frame, stopping at his, now uncovered, lower back. He noticed a large fleck across it, its shade a disgusting mixture of blue and violet. He carefully leaned in, fingers brushing over the hurt skin. _This is still fresh._  He eyed Levi’s calm face, something he had witnessed for the first time. _What happened to you?_ He checked the time, the clock on the wall showing 10 pm, meaning it was too early for him to sleep. He turned back to Levi, wincing away a bit when he realized he was awake, staring at him.

“What were you doing?”

“Uhm, I-” Eren stuttered, playing with his fingers, trying to hide his nervousness. Levi said nothing, throwing his blanket away and sliding on top of Eren instead, pushing him down onto the pillows, pinning his hands on the sides.

“You were touching me.” Levi cut him off, holding Eren so firmly the boy wasn’t able to budge.

Eren tried to wriggle out of his grip, eyes shut, head facing the wall.  “I... wasn’t…”

“I told you already,” Levi grabbed him by his collar and sat him up, “knowing my name is a one way ticket. You can’t run away now. You still have red in your ledger.”

Eren met his eyes, panting and closing the distance between their foreheads. He gazed down upon Levi’s lips as he swallowed. After few moments of intense silence, he spoke. “Then why don’t we erase it?”

“What are you getting at?”

“I’m saying that I want you to fuck me.” Eren abandoned his reason, both emotions and needs taking over, whispering as he took Levi’s hand into his own, guiding it to his crotch, his cock already half hard.

“Perverted brat.” Levi whispered, smiling and dragging Eren into a lewd kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry not sorry for making Erwin a douche, I actually love him despite being skeptic about his true intentions. w e l p.


End file.
